US-based Nucor Corp. has officially opened its Lexington rebar micro mill in Lexington, North Carolina, bringing 430,000 tons of annual rebar capacity online to serve construction and infrastructure projects along the East Coast of the US, according to media reports.
The facility, which Nucor first announced in April 2022 at an initial budget of $350 million, ultimately came in at roughly $440 million. It is the company's third rebar micro mill, joining existing plants in Missouri and Florida, and employs approximately 200 full-time workers. The Lexington mill produces rebar from nearly 100 percent recycled scrap, drawing in part on raw material from Nucor's existing North Carolina recycling operations.
Nucor identified Lexington as a base for one of the fastest growing regions in the country for infrastructure related steel demand as it sits along the corridor between Washington DC and Atlanta. Affirming their investment, Nucor is also establishing a Rebar Fabrication facility adjacent to the plant, as previously reported by SteelOrbis.